Vienna
"There are so many reporters here." Renzo and Steve couldn't help but sigh as they looked at the building surrounded by media through the glass.
"After all, more than half the countries in the world support this agreement. It's bound to draw attention."
The two stood by the glass, chatting idly. Their real target this time was Zemo—Renzo had little interest in the signing itself. The priority was resolving Tony's anger.
Renzo still wore Paul's appearance. Only he, Steve, and Natasha had come to Vienna; the rest of the Avengers remained at the base under government restrictions.
Renzo's gaze drifted across the room. He was surrounded by politicians and capitalists, most of whom he had no desire to deal with. Steve wasn't good at this kind of social situation either, so the two of them stayed off to the side, keeping to themselves.
Suddenly, Renzo's eyes settled on a man in a suit—standing alone, without any companions.
"Who is that?" Steve followed his gaze. To him, the man looked like an ordinary attendee, and he asked in confusion.
"The prince of Wakanda—a country that appears to be a backward agricultural nation. Their king is here as well. It's said that some Wakandan citizens died in that incident."
Renzo explained calmly, his eyes gleaming faintly as he calculated something in the back of his mind.
His body was entirely composed of vibranium, a metal found only in Wakanda. There would inevitably be many dealings with them in the future—building a good relationship now was necessary.
"Appears to be?" Steve frowned, sensing something more in Renzo's words, though he couldn't quite grasp it.
"Good day, Your Highness." Renzo approached T'Challa with a smile, briefly introducing himself under the prince's puzzled gaze.
"My name is Renzo. You may not recognize this face, but…" Renzo smiled as his features briefly flickered with a faint red and green distortion.
Recognition dawned in T'Challa's eyes. An Avenger—more than that, a unique synthetic lifeform whose body was made from Wakanda's most precious resource. There was no way he wouldn't recognize him.
"Nice to meet you," T'Challa replied, returning the handshake. "Are you here to sign the agreement?"
"In part." Renzo nodded. "But my real interest is you."
"Oh?"
"There's no need to hide what you already understand. I may need your help in the future." Seeing the shift in T'Challa's expression, Renzo didn't press further and instead changed the subject lightly.
"I heard His Majesty is also present. If you have time, could you introduce me?"
"I'm afraid not. My father is currently giving a speech on stage. After all, our citizens were among the victims of that incident." T'Challa's tone turned formal, his expression restrained. He had no intention of indulging this line of conversation, much less introducing this man to his father.
"That's a pity. I was hoping to meet the Black Panther."
T'Challa's pupils contracted instantly. Wakanda had remained hidden from the world for centuries. Its true strength, its secrets—even the mantle of the Black Panther—were unknown to outsiders. And yet, this man spoke of it so casually.
For a brief moment, T'Challa's composure cracked.
Renzo easily sensed the shift in his emotions. There was no need to explain too much—mystery was enough.
Leaning closer, he spoke quietly near T'Challa's ear. "Be careful. Someone else has already set their sights on Wakanda… and your father."
With that, Renzo stepped away, leaving T'Challa standing there, his expression flickering with uncertainty and tension.
"What did you just say to him?" Steve asked. From a distance, he had seen T'Challa's expression change drastically. He was starting to worry Renzo had said something cutting again—he might rival Tony in that regard.
"Nothing much. Just asked about his family—and his father."
"?"
"That's not important." Renzo pulled Steve along and took a seat as the conference was about to begin. Natasha was already seated elsewhere, some distance from them.
Renzo spoke quietly, almost under his breath. "Scott, it's your turn."
"Roger that!"
...
Zemo hid inside a van, his situation far from comfortable. For days, he had been hunted by Stark Industries without understanding why. Forced to abandon all electronic devices, he had taken refuge in areas without surveillance.
The bomb was already planted. Now he waited for King T'Chaka to take the stage, ready to carry out the attack.
After a year of investigation, he had uncovered the truth—Wakanda was not the impoverished nation it pretended to be. On the contrary, its wealth and resources far surpassed even Stark Industries.
If he could redirect Wakanda's anger toward Bucky, then Captain America would inevitably defend his friend. Conflict between the Avengers and Wakanda would become unavoidable. Combined with the current Accords, the Avengers would be trapped at every turn.
And beyond that… there was still that devastating secret.
Zemo's plan was meticulous—but he had no idea that someone here already knew the script.
Scott, shrunk to a tiny size, hid in the corner of the van, silently observing Zemo's actions. If Renzo hadn't warned him to stay quiet, he would have been chattering nonstop right next to Zemo's ear.
"I can't talk… this is torture," Scott muttered internally, suppressing the urge.
When Zemo finally donned his disguise and opened the car door, Scott knew it was time to act.
Which meant—
He could finally speak.
"Hey! Your evil plan ends here!"
"?" The moment Zemo stepped out of the van, a voice rang out. As a former Sokovian intelligence officer, his instincts were sharp—on par with any Avenger.
He spun around instantly.
Scott's enlarged form filled his vision.
Before he could react, he was kicked out of the van and slammed onto the pavement.
"What?!" Shock and anger surged through Zemo. How had the Avengers found him? He ran through every possibility but couldn't identify where he had been exposed. There was no time to think.
Run.
Zemo knew staying meant capture. Better to abandon this step and escape. This part of the plan wasn't essential—it wouldn't jeopardize the larger scheme.
But Scott wasn't about to let him go so easily. He was an Avenger—letting a target escape without a fight wasn't an option.
The two immediately broke into a chase.
Of course, Scott wasn't the only Avenger present.
When T'Challa noticed the disturbance outside, he instantly realized someone was targeting his father.
He moved without hesitation, shielding T'Chaka with his body.
Fortunately, the bomb never detonated. Everyone present remained unharmed.
"He knew…" T'Challa recalled Renzo's earlier words and understood—they had been a warning.
A trace of gratitude rose in his heart.
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